DoD PKI Automatic Key Recovery - militarycac.orgDoD PKI Automatic Key Recovery Philip Noble (520) 538-7608 or DSN 879-7608, ... new CACs to retrieve encryption keys/certificates from

ISEC: Excellence in Engineering

DoD PKI

Automatic Key Recovery

Philip Noble

(520) 538-7608 or DSN 879-7608,

[email protected]

U.S. Army Information Systems Engineering Command

Fort Huachuca, AZ 85613-5300


One problem in the past with the DoD PKI infrastructure was the inability to

recover Common Access Card (CAC) private encryption keys and certificates

that were either expired or revoked. This becomes necessary when a CAC is

lost and its certificates are revoked or when a CAC and the certificates it

contains simply expires and is surrendered to DEERS/RAPIDS before the

user’s encrypted emails have been decrypted.

An Auto Key Recovery capability has been fielded by DISA to permit holders of

new CACs to retrieve encryption keys/certificates from previous cards to

permit decryption of old email.

The Problem:


The following slides identify steps to recover private

encryption keys, escrowed by DISA, from CACs that

do not have the “Auto Key Recovery” functionality.

The Solution:

Steps to Recover

Private Encryption Keys


https://ara-1.c3pki.chamb.disa.mil/ara/Key

Or

https://ara-2.c3pki.den.disa.mil/ara/Key

This is the Automatic Key Recovery URL.

Note: The URL address shown above is case sensitive.

When you go to this link, you must identify yourself with PKI

credentials. Use ONLY your identity certificate!

URL for Key Recovery








At this time open the URL


Or









You will be prompted to identify yourself.

Highlight your Identification Certificate from your CAC. Select it by clicking “OK”.

Note: Do NOT choose any that contain the word “EMAIL” from the Issuer column.

Choose Your

CAC Identity Certificate


Dismiss the warning by clicking “OK”.

Warning Banner


The Automated Key Recovery Agent will compile a list of Recoverable Keys.

Please Wait…

Processing Your Request


Browse through the list and locate the appropriate key you want to

recover. When located, click the adjacent associated “Recover” button.

Key Selection


Select “OK”.

Acknowledgement of

DoD Subscriber


The Automated Key Recovery Agent is processing your request.

Please Wait…

Processing Request


This is your one-time PIN to access your Private

Encryption Key if it’s saved as a separate file.

Also, you will find instructions for both Netscape and

Internet Explorer web browsers.

One-time PIN


Installing the Certificate

You will be given the opportunity to

install the certificate, click “Open”.

Open


Installing the Certificate (Cont’d)

Click “Next”.



Click “Next”.



Leave the check blocks unchecked, enter your Password, and click “Next”.



Ensure that “Automatically select the certificate store based on the

type of certificate” is selected (as shown above) and click “Next”.



Click “Finish”.



Click “Set Security Level”



Select “High” and “Next”



Enter Your CAC PIN as a Password and

Click “Finish”

Note Vista requires a 14 character password

for this step



Click “OK”



Click “OK”.


You can verify the successful download of your recovered Private

Encryption Key by performing the following; Launch Internet

Explorer, select “Tools” from the menu, and then “Internet Options”.

Verifying the Download


Click the “Content” tab. Now, click “Certificates”.

Verifying the Download (Cont’d)

Certificates…


Select the “Personal” tab and you will see a list of your currently registered

certificates, including the recovered new key certificate.



Double-click on the certificate and you can view the specifics of

your recovered key (or other current keys) as illustrated above.



Close the open window, you may now use the

recovered key to access your encrypted email.

Success

Last Step: Delete the .P12 file

from you computer as this is a

security vulnerability and will

be detected in a Qtip Scan


A user has attempted to recover a key using the Automated Key

Recovery Agent. The ID Certificate used for Authentication was:

CN=NOBLE.PHILIP.EUGENE.1184204718,OU=USA,OU=PKI,OU=D

OD,O=U.S. GOVERNMENT,C=US, Serial: 0x0B5643, Issuer: DOD

CLASS 3 CA-5. The key that was recovered was:

CN=NOBLE.PHILIP.EUGENE.1184204718,OU=USA,OU=PKI,OU=D

OD,O=U.S. GOVERNMENT,C=US, Serial: 0x0C8747, Issuer: DOD

CLASS 3 EMAIL CA-3.

If you did not perform this operation, please contact your local key

recovery agent and ask that they check the logs for the key recovery at

Fri Jul 01 16:48:12 GMT 2005 with session ID 1.c3pki.chamb.disa.mil-

23f%3A42c57335%3A68e46e9395fb9727.

You will receive an email from

[email protected] with

a subject “ALERT! Key Recovery Attempt Using

Automated Key Recovery Agent” similar to the above

Recovery Notification example notifying you of your

recovery action.

Recovery Notification Example


POC for Additional Information

Philip E. Noble

USAISEC

Information Assurance and Security

Engineering Directorate (IASED)

DSN 879-7608

CML 520-538-7608

FAX DSN 879-8709 CML 520-538-8709

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

Documents

DoD PKI Automatic Key Recovery - militarycac.orgDoD PKI Automatic Key Recovery Philip Noble (520) 538-7608 or DSN 879-7608, ... new CACs to retrieve encryption keys/certificates from